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New Zealand gov't urges people to prepare for Cyclone Gabrielle
By Xinhua Published: Feb 12, 2023 07:50 AM
A resident fills a sandbag at a temporary storage site of sand in Auckland, New Zealand, Feb. 11, 2023. New Zealand's largest city Auckland set up temporary storage sites of sand and provided sandbags for residents to get prepared for new severe weather event. The last round of record rainfall has caused massive flooding to houses and properties since Jan. 27.(Photo: Xinhua)

A resident fills a sandbag at a temporary storage site of sand in Auckland, New Zealand, Feb. 11, 2023. New Zealand's largest city Auckland set up temporary storage sites of sand and provided sandbags for residents to get prepared for new severe weather event. The last round of record rainfall has caused massive flooding to houses and properties since Jan. 27.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
A resident carries a sandbag at a temporary storage site of sand in Auckland, New Zealand, Feb. 11, 2023. New Zealand's largest city Auckland set up temporary storage sites of sand and provided sandbags for residents to get prepared for new severe weather event. The last round of record rainfall has caused massive flooding to houses and properties since Jan. 27.(Photo: Xinhua)

A resident carries a sandbag at a temporary storage site of sand in Auckland, New Zealand, Feb. 11, 2023. New Zealand's largest city Auckland set up temporary storage sites of sand and provided sandbags for residents to get prepared for new severe weather event. The last round of record rainfall has caused massive flooding to houses and properties since Jan. 27.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
Residents fill a sandbag at a temporary storage site of sand in Auckland, New Zealand, Feb. 11, 2023. New Zealand's largest city Auckland set up temporary storage sites of sand and provided sandbags for residents to get prepared for new severe weather event. The last round of record rainfall has caused massive flooding to houses and properties since Jan. 27.(Photo: Xinhua)

Residents fill a sandbag at a temporary storage site of sand in Auckland, New Zealand, Feb. 11, 2023. New Zealand's largest city Auckland set up temporary storage sites of sand and provided sandbags for residents to get prepared for new severe weather event. The last round of record rainfall has caused massive flooding to houses and properties since Jan. 27.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
Residents carry sandbags at a temporary storage site of sand in Auckland, New Zealand, Feb. 11, 2023. New Zealand's largest city Auckland set up temporary storage sites of sand and provided sandbags for residents to get prepared for new severe weather event. The last round of record rainfall has caused massive flooding to houses and properties since Jan. 27.(Photo: Xinhua)

Residents carry sandbags at a temporary storage site of sand in Auckland, New Zealand, Feb. 11, 2023. New Zealand's largest city Auckland set up temporary storage sites of sand and provided sandbags for residents to get prepared for new severe weather event. The last round of record rainfall has caused massive flooding to houses and properties since Jan. 27.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
The New Zealand government has urged people to prepare for Cyclone Gabrielle after severe flooding hit the country's largest city Auckland and claimed four lives two weeks ago.

Cyclone Gabrielle could bring significant severe weather to many regions of New Zealand and the government stands ready to support communities that may be impacted, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty said on Friday.

"Cyclone Gabrielle is likely to impact across the North Island with severe gales and heavy rain forecast from Sunday through to Tuesday. That gives us time to plan and prepare -- and this preparation is well underway," McAnulty said.

It is difficult to predict exactly what course the cyclone will take, but if the cyclone continues on its current path, it is likely to be a severe weather event impacting communities in Northland, Auckland, and other regions in the North Island, he said, calling on New Zealanders to use the next few days to get ready.

The last round of record rainfall has caused massive flooding to houses and properties since Jan. 27, with the state of emergency declared by the government.

More than 769 percent of its rainfall in a normal January was recorded, which was about more than a third of Auckland's entire annual average.

With the maximum amount of water vapor in the air increasing exponentially with temperature, the potential for extreme rainfalls grows as the climate warms, New Zealand scientists warned.